Pot smoking country legend Merle Haggard had a "lemon-sized tumor removed" and apparently has a somewhat clean bill of health. With that said, and a busy 2009 plan of touring, recording and playinhg women's prisons, he's started the year off by suing an enviornmental group.

Country star Merle Haggard has sued an environmental awareness group, claiming it illegally used his name and likeness to raise money.

The Green Train bills itself as a nonprofit that educates the public about environmental issues. Its concert-and-train tour scheduled to depart Portland, Ore., in April and travel through 28 states on a six-week whistle-stop tour with several concerts along the way before ending in Washington D.C.

According to the lawsuit, Haggard donated $20,000 to the Green Train and agreed to ride the train as support and entertainment. He also attended a fundraising lunch and said he would ask a few of his fellow artists if they would agree to ride the train.

But the lawsuit said the group "greatly exaggerated" Haggard's support and misstated that he has personal involvement in the project's operations.

Haggard, who has had 38 No. 1 hits stretching back to 1966 including "Okie From Muskogee," said that without his consent, permission or knowledge, the group used his name and image on all materials for the Green Train and forged his signature on "personal letters" and other solicitation materials and on merchandise sold on e-Bay and in nightclubs.

The forged letters went to some of Haggard's friends in the entertainment industry, including Dolly Parton, Jewel, Vince Gill and Amy Grant, the lawsuit states.

Read the full article here.

Tour dates after the jump.